Be Still and Know

I’ve sat staring at my computer screen typing, then backspacing over and over again. The keys are music to my ears. My words are squished together behind a lot of tears, but they are important.

God is whispering…Be still and Know.

Sitting. The silence. Embracing pain and not running from it. Identifying my issues and being diligent in healing and healthiness.

It’s an art I’ve never perfected. The silence. The waiting. The stillness. I find myself stretching my limbs towards grace. Asking and begging Jesus to show up in this. I need Him. I see him in the wind and how the trees dance along with it. I see Him in the sunsets. I see Him in the smiles and in strangers and in their laugher. Somehow, I can’t seem to find Him in my own brokenness and the heaviness. How is that so?

Every Sunday at church, we have an intimate prayer moment where we can have others pray for us. For the past month, the prayer I echo is constant and consistent. It sounds a lot like this: “I know what I am called to and who Jesus says I am, but I can’t get there. I don’t know how to live in it. To walk in it. To stay consistent in it. I know God has me where He wants me, but I also know I’m supposed to be somewhere bigger than all of this. Not sitting in the muck of it all.” I walk up to the front of church empty and searching to be filled with only something Jesus can give me. Peace. Patience. The courage to step into my calling healthy and whole.

People love to ask how we are and what we are learning, but what happens when I give them an answer they don’t want to hear? My answer these past few months has been heavy and confused. I’ve been a lot of things in this season that I don’t know how to deal with, or I thought I’d never have to face again. I’ve been depressed. I’ve felt used. I’ve stepped out in ways I never ever do, only to get cut down and hurt immensely. The second I give up my pain or decide to let go, I turn the corner and there is another beast waiting to fight me and to shake me. I feel as if I can’t win. I find myself questioning God constantly. None of what I am walking in makes sense. I have never been so confused in my entire years of knowing Jesus.

No matter how hard I search and ask, I keep hearing the same thing. Sit in it. Be still. Know.

My flesh immediately shuts down when I hear those words. I want to do the exact opposite.

So, I am sitting here writing my piece for the month and I honestly feel as if I don’t have much to share. I feel as if my blog post is not going to be as powerful as everyone else’s because I don’t have a victory to talk about. I have been really anxious to write for the month of September and Satan has been attacking me really good.

I want to be able to have something to share. I want a victory. I want to have a testimony from this season. But sometimes, the most powerful breakthrough is silence. It’s walking up empty-handed, asking for God to fill us up. And you know what? That’s okay. My growth looks a little bit different in this season. Sometimes you and I just have to sit in it. Sometimes growth doesn’t make sense. It sure as heck doesn’t feel good either. But what a small suffering to endure in the grand scheme of things. We get to hurt and eventually heal in order to grow into who God intended us to be.

We can speak life over our pain. We have to say, “You know what, I am not okay but Jesus is STILL good. He is still faithful. I can praise Him when I am in the valleys and when I am on the mountain tops.” Even when you don’t believe it: speak it. Read His promises. Let them be the feet to your steps.

Psalm 23 – In the darkest places, God is with us. We do not have to fear.

Deuteronomy 31:8 – Jesus is BEFORE us. He is WITH us. He will never ever LEAVE us or FORSAKE us. We do not have to fear. We do not have to be dismayed.

Psalm 46 – God is our REFUGE and our STRENGTH. And He is our ever-present help in trouble.

John 16:33 – In Jesus we have PEACE. In the world, we will have tribulations and trials but TAKE HEART; Jesus has OVERCOME the world.

Matthew 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be COMFORTED.

Psalm 27- The Lord is our LIGHT. He is our SALVATION. Who shall we fear?

Some days, I honestly can’t find the words to say or pray. I feel too shameful or weak to even pick up my Bible, so I just pop my headphones in and walk and let worship music cover me. If that’s all you can do, do it. Let His promises cover you and tune out the lies from the enemy.

We have to feel it and walk through it in order to learn from it. If you feel overwhelmed, not good enough, alone, fearful, or any other emotion that steals your joy or your courage, call it out. Reach to God. Beg for Him. You do not have to be alone in this. He will never forsake you. But we must take courage. Even if it’s with swollen eyes and runny noses from crying and pouring our hearts out. You do not have to be perfect or whole to encounter Jesus. He will comfort you. Always.

Author Taylor Tippett

Join the discussion 18 Comments

I am so glad that you wrote this today. It is just exactly what I needed to hear to know that I am not alone in this season and this is a season that other people walk through as well just waiting and praying for victory but keep feeling knocked and beaten down. Thank you, Taylor! "You do not have to be perfect or whole to encounter Jesus. He will comfort you. Always." –My encouragement for today.

Wow. This describes what I have been going through lately. Thank you for allowing God to speak through you. I know that I am not the only one going through this. You have words for me to put to the emotions I feel. Thank you❤️-xoxo Kait

1- Am going to start to pray for you …. and perhaps others hear thesame "still small voice" as well. Our God is good, He is Mighty,He is merciful. God takes care of us when we don’t deserve it.Praise to Jesus. He is Lord.

2- Weekday mornings I send out Christian texts to lots of friendsand will include you if you wish. You will not hurt myfeeling if youdon’t want to start and/or should you start and wish to quit downthe line: you will not hurt my feelings

This paragraph is definitely my husband and me right now – you couldn’t have said it better: People love to ask how we are and what we are learning, but what happens when I give them an answer they don’t want to hear? My answer these past few months has been heavy and confused. I’ve been a lot of things in this season that I don’t know how to deal with, or I thought I’d never have to face again. I’ve been depressed. I’ve felt used. I’ve stepped out in ways I never ever do, only to get cut down and hurt immensely. The second I give up my pain or decide to let go, I turn the corner and there is another beast waiting to fight me and to shake me. I feel as if I can’t win. I find myself questioning God constantly. None of what I am walking in makes sense. I have never been so confused in my entire years of knowing Jesus.

We know there are others trying to fight the fight like we are. We know we are so blessed in so many ways, despite being in the worst situation of our 39 years of marriage. And we will try to have the faith we need to get through this. After all, no matter what, we have each other and we have God.

This is so encouraging. Thank you for sharing your heart. I seem to be in the same place as you and I agree that it can be hard to open up and share. Today I am walking away encouraged even in the silence and waiting.

Oh my the words you wrote echo exactly what I’ve been holding inside and hiding from everyone. Thank you for writing it down and helping us to know we’re not alone in our painful and confusing journey.

Sitting here after midnight,waiting and wondering if sleep will come because of the intense pain both of the body and mind. I pick up my phone trying to pass the time, but mostly to occupy my thoughts- noticing a notification. As I scroll, I see the words, "Be still and Know." Immediately, the whole verse spills out my mouth and I feel the Presense of the Lord around me. I read your words, they are my words, my thoughts, my heart. You are so right. HE IS HERE IN THIS PLACE. HE WAS WAITING FOR ME to recognize HIM. So, I choose to be covered by His Promises this night,I will not give place to the enemy. I choose to rest in the loving arms of the One Who loves me, Who redeemed me, and Who will one day come back to take me Home to be with Him forever.Thank you so much Taylor for sharing this. Praying for your healing.

Wow….. such a heart wrenching post, and it came straight from your heart. Thank you for opening up, and telling the hard truth about not always feeling the goodness or the right direction. I have had moments where I do not understand. I do not know where God wants me, or what I should do to fulfill Him always. But I just need to sit in it and know. Thank you for your raw clarity. God bless you!!